


What a Guy Wants

by Clandestine_Dragon



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Crappy drabbles, Gaius's perfect man, Heavily inspired by those XD, Lots of Nowi, M/M, Nowi Supports, Nowi is a pest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-01
Updated: 2015-08-01
Packaged: 2018-04-12 08:54:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4473113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clandestine_Dragon/pseuds/Clandestine_Dragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>So what is Gaius' type?</p>
            </blockquote>





	What a Guy Wants

**Author's Note:**

> I have been in a writing slump for quite some time now, so I wrote this to see if I couldn't get something back. Didn't succeed all that well, but I'm posting anyway. All (probably numerous) mistakes are my own.

**Class**  
  
The way Robin eats when he’s hungry is nothing short of barbaric

Everything is fair game, bear, boar, deer, and – much to Gaius’ horror – bee larvae. It goes in, faster than he can really see, and then swallowed like it’s nothing more than water, juices flying through the air.

The sounds, wet and squishy, are atrocious.

And the saliva, dripping down his chin…would at any other time probably cause a quite different reaction, instead makes him a little ill.  
Fortunately, he doesn’t eat like this all the time. Only when rations are scarce and a town isn’t nearby. Or when he forgets to eat, so enclosed in his task of figuring out how to get everyone through the next battle alive that he pulls yet another all-nighter.

It’s when he thinks about the reason Robin’s eating like a ravenous beast that all the disgust magically melts away – until next time.  
Gaius sighs as he watches, Robin ever-unaware of any gazes he still draws, though the numbers dwindle with every meal. There’s a bit of dark hair drooping into his eyes and cheeks, and the urge to brush it away before it gets into his mouth makes the thief’s fingers twitch.

Then he realizes it and presses his traitorous hands into this pockets, brushing aside the urge. But not really, because a minute later he rips a lollipop out of his seventh inner-pocket and shoves it into his mouth, ignoring the disapproving looks from a nearby Lon’qu and Cordelia.

“Oh, bee larvae!” Sumia exclaims when she sits down next to Robin, not at all put off by his eating habits anymore.

Nowi joins in, bouncing over. “That’s really classy, Robin!” she shoots a curious look over at Gaius, eyes sparkling with ideas.

Gaius recoils a bit, some dawning horror as he remembers the discussion he had with the little devil-dragon recently. The lollipop falls from his mouth and he escapes the fireside, digging out some melty chocolate instead.

Robin eating bee larvae like a slathering, starving boar is anything but classy.

_Though when he devotes all of his time and effort to his duty, missing meals and sleep alike….He demands more respect than all the lords and ladies in the world._

Not that it takes much to earn more respect than a privileged blue-blood from Gaius.

\--  
**Bearing**

You wouldn’t initially assume Robin is in charge of anything, let alone the tactician of the Exalt’s Shepherds. Not with the way he moves around.

There’s a distinct lack of authority in the easy way he walks. It’s not a stance that demands respect, so much as it warmly welcomes people to trust.

When he walks, it’s when he finally needs a break from the books, and he slowly gaits around the camp, comfortable to take his time. When someone stops him, he isn’t bothered, he’s ready with a smile and a willing ear, even when it might be difficult to stomach what the person might be saying.

Gaius gives a start when Olivia speaks up, seemingly to him since he’s the only one around. They haven’t really talked all that much, so it’s a bit shocking to hear the shy girl speak first. “He has a really beautiful gait…don’t you think?”

Out of nowhere Nowi pops up. She has to be stalking him at this point. “A gate? Robin doesn’t have a gate… He’s a human!”

Olivia giggles, a good look on her, and corrects the naïve little dragon. “Not a gate, a gait. Like how he walks. His bearing.”

Nowi glances over at Gaius at that. “Bearing? You think his bearing is beautiful?”

The dancer nods, smiling cheerfully. “It’s a really reassuring one. I feel like it’s fine to talk to him about anything.” The little blonde looked to be considering something again, and Gaius feels a little dread creeping down his spine at what kind of havoc the brat could if she were to mess with his life.

Olivia, however, wasn’t done yet. “Don’t you think, Gaius?” there was a little pause, and both women seemed to be staring him down. It was more than a little uncomfortable.

“…Why are you asking me? Do I look like some kind of bearing expert?”

Nowi nodded. “It seems awful important to you!”

Gaius glared. “It’s not. I’m leaving. Bye.” He quickly made his retreat.

Robin’s bearing? Beautiful? The orange-haired thief shook his head. _Maybe. Yeah. It was, at that._ But he wasn’t about to talk about that to anyone, let alone two nosy women that liked to stare answers out of him.

* * *

**Age**

The dragon was definitely following him. So Gaius was making a point to lose her at every possible opportunity.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t quite cold-hearted enough to ignore the tears of a girl that looked to be 12 years old.

“Nowi...Uh, kid? What’s wrong?” he was already regretting this, because the moment he appeared she latched on. “Too close.”  
She sighed. “I found out the most terrible news. …Robin….”

Gaius refused to acknowledge his increased alertness at the very mention of their tactician. “Robin?”

“He’s….” she sniffled.

The thief frowned, kneeling to look in Nowi’s eyes. “He’s…? What? Don’t stall, kid!” he practically demanded.

Nowi let out a sob. “We…we scryed for his birthday. He’s…He’s a year younger than you, Gaius!” she covered her face with her hands in misery.

The thief was utterly stumped. How to respond to something so…ridiculous? What the hell did he say to that? He’d thought Robin was hurt or something! “Nowi….what? Why does that matter?!”

“Because…because…He’s not OLDER than you!” she stood and ran looking like her dreams were crushed.”

Gaius had a strange inkling the he should know what this was about. Unfortunately, he was simply too exhausted from the exchange to think any further on it.

* * *

**Confidence**

The mood was heavy, any fool with half a brain could sense that.

At the announcement of Emmeryn’s imminent execution, there was a frosty silence that no one was willing to break. And when it was announced that they were rushing into an obvious trap, no one argued. Gaius included.

Yes, he thought it was a bad idea.

Yes, he didn’t think sacrificing everything for one person was the way to win a war.

No, he didn’t want the Exalt to die.

No, he wasn’t going to leave the army for self-preservation.

After all…Robin was there. And he believed he could tip the scales in their favor. It was a bad idea, but that was their tactician’s specialty. Sacrifice was necessary for most wars, but most wars didn’t have Robin. The Exalt wasn’t going to die, because Robin believed he could save her. And he had yet to let a single, precious life flicker out.

Gaius wouldn’t leave, because Robin’s confidence was unmatched when it came to tactics, and he had confidence in turn, that they’d be led to victory, as always.

* * *

**Tolerance**

Robin faced new, odd occurrences as much as the next man. You simply didn’t see Henry covered in blood, cradling a raven while laughing sadly and react naturally.

But Gaius had to give the tactician props for reacting better than just about anyone else in the camp would have. Instead of backing way slowly – which is what the thief was doing until he was compelled to stop and watch – he kneeled next to the mage.

The thief couldn’t remember what exactly was said that made Henry start acting normally again - normal for Henry – he was too focused on staring at…er analyzing Robin’s calm expression.

And when Tharja was going through that creepy identity crisis, talking like an average village girl, and everyone just wanted the same old hex-slinging sorceress back….Gaius didn’t really watch Tharja’s transition back to shadowy queen of darkness so much as he watched Robin’s honest relief that his friend was back to their creepy, but real self.

The words that he did hear were directed at himself. Ones of acceptance, so warm that he had to doubt their sincerity. How could you tolerate a criminal? How could you embrace someone branded as a rogue – a scoundrel never to be trusted?

But as usual, there was no stopping Robin from being who he was. The most broad-minded individual he had ever met.  
Gaius tried not to think too hard on the feeling in his stomach as he continued working on the belt in front of him, fingers a bit numb from the non-stop action he’d been doing since the morning.

* * *

**Knows Exactly What He Wants**

There’s both a weight off his shoulders and a twisting in his stomach after he hands the belt over. He wants to say more, but he’s not about to make things awkward. Robin hasn’t exactly shown interest in a thieving outlaw like himself beyond friendship.

Friendship is nice. He’s been too wary to really make friends before the whole war thing. It’s…nice.

_But not all that he wants._

So when Robin shows up later, much later, when everyone but the tactician, the watch, and Frederick would be in bed, Gaius feels a jolt of apprehension and hope.

He’s wearing the belt around his hips, and his walk is easy, confident and purposeful. Deep brown eyes are dark, and a small smile graces the younger man’s lips. There’s that warm acceptance in his expression, but something else. Something Gaius knows as desire, even as he hesitates to believe it.

But he leaps at the opportunity when dry lips on a mission meet his without hesitance.

Gaius groans into the touch, quickly wrapping them closer together, Robin’s touch willing and sure.


End file.
